Beer-tap.



PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. M. J. CHAPLIN.

BEER TAP.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 4, 1904,

UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE.

MANLEY J. OHAPLI, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOEDW'ARD KAUFMANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BEER-TAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2c, 1905.

Application led NOVGDlbBI 4, 1904. Serial No. 231,326.

To all whom, it may concern: r

Be it known that I, MANLEY J. OHAPLIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Beer-Taps, of which thefollowing is a specication.

My invention relates to taps for beer-casks and the like, and has forits principal objects to provide a tap which may be connected to thecask by insertion of the discharge-pipe; to provide atap having movablelocking members which are held in their inoperative position by gravity;to dispense with the use of spring members to hold the looking membersin their inoperative position; to provide a tap having locking membersmounted inside of the barrel, where they are protected from accidentalinjury when not in place, and other objects hereinafter more fullyappearing.

My invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andwherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1is aview of the tap in elevation, the tap being in placer in thebung-hole of a cask and the discharge-pipe being in place. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical sectional view through the tap and the bung-hole of thecask, the locking members being shown in the position in which theynormally rest when the discharge-pipe is not in place. Fig. 3 is avertical central sectional view through the tap and the bung-hole of acask, the discharge-pipe being shown in place. Fig. 4 is a sectionalperspective view of the barrel of the tap. Fig. 5 is a sectional view onthe line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig'. 6 is a perspective view of the removablewasher-seat. Fig. 7 is a perspective view, and Fig. 8 is asideelevational View, of one of the locking members, the inclination of theflange 13 being somewhat exaggerated for the purpose of clearness. Fig.9 is a sectional perspective view of the bushing for the bung-hole of acask, and Fig. 10 is a sectional perspective view of the packing-sleeve.

The subject of the present invention is a tap to be used in forcing'liquid from casks or similar receptacles. rThis practice may be appliedto a number of liquids and is the prevalent practice in the case ofbeer. Hence the invention has been entitled a beer-tap, al-

though it is not intended to limit my patent to taps used in deliveringbeer.

The bung-hole of a cask 1 is provided with a metallic bushing 2, whichis screw-threaded on its exterior and provided at its upper end with aninternal annular ange 3. The cask may be closed for shipment byinserting a cork iu the bushing just as a cork is ordinarily inserted inthe bung-hole of casks.

The tap comprises a barrel 4, which is substantially cylindrical, havinga large upper section, a small lower section, and an intermediate-sizedmiddle section. The lower section is just the proper size to fit easilyinside theannular iange 3 of the bushing 2. The Lipper end of the uppersection of the barrel is exteriorly screw-threaded. A tubular projection5 projects laterally from the upper section of the barrel. A nipple 6 isscrewed in said projection and affords means for connecting a flexibletube or hose communicating with the source of pneumatic pressure Uponthe outside of the barrel a substantially cylindrical packing sleeve 7is arranged. The packing-sleeve is cut away at one side to accommodatethe .tubular projection 5. At its lower end its diameter is enlarged,and near its lower end it is provided with an internal annular rib 8.The internal diameter of the annular rib is slightly larger than theexterior diameter of the middle section of the barrel. Thus when thepacking'- sleeve is in place on the barrel a groove opening downwardlyis formed by the enlarged lower end of the packing-sleeve, the internalannular rib 8, and the middle section of the barrel. In the groove soformed is placed a gasket 9, the thickness of which is slightly morethan the depth of the groove. An internally-screW-threaded cap 10 fitsupon the upper end of the barrel. It may be screwed down upon the barrelfar enough to engage the packing-sleeve, and thus force the latterdownwardly. A shoulder or offset 11 is formed where the middle sectionof the barrel joins the large upper section thereof. Upon this shouldertwo locking members 12 are supported. Each of said locking memberscomprises a substantially semicylindrical ange 13, from which the bodydepends. The body of the locking member is reduced in Width from themiddle to its lower end. A radial projection 14 is provided at the lowerend of the locking member. The flange IOO 13 is not quite perpendicularto the axis of l the locking member, but is slightly inclined. l/Vhenheld in a vertical position, the ends of the flange are lower than theintermediate portions thereof. Consequently when the l locking membersare held in their vertical positions by the discharge-pipe only the endsthereof rest upon the shoulder 11 of the barrel of the tap. Thethickness of the locking members is substantially' the same as thethickness of the wall of the barrel 4. The locking members depend intothe small lower section of the barrel. The walls of the latter are cutaway at diametrically opposite points to accommodate the reduced lowerends of the locking members, the projections 14 of which project throughthe holes so formed. Thus when the locking members are held in avertical position the projections 14 will extend under the annular iange3 of the bushing 2 in the bung-hole of the cask. At the same time thelower end of the middle section of the barrel rests upon the top of thebushing. The length of the locking members is such that the distancebetween the lower end of the middle section of the barrel and the uppersurface of the projections 14 is but little more than the thickness ofthe annular flange 3 of the bushing 2. The position of the tap in thebushing is thus fixed with little room for play up and down. Agasket-seat 15 rests upon the flange 13 of the locking members 12. Thisgasket-seat may have its form varied considerably; but it is preferredto make it as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. It is substantially a short hollowcylinder provided with a relatively large peripheral groove semicircularin cross-section and with a number of radial holes 16 through the wallsand leadingI from the bottom of the groove. This gasketseat is arrangedat the same vertical height as the projection 5 on the barrel. By reasonof the peripheral groove on the gasket-seat the gas under pressureadmitted through the tubular projection can pass around the gasket-seatand through all the holes therein to the interior thereof. A wide gasket17 is seated upon the gasketseat and extends slightly above the top ofthe barrel. A washer 18 is interposed between the top of the gasket 17and the cap 10.

Vhen the tap is in use, adischarge-jiipe 19 extends through it and intothe cask. The discharge-pipe engages and holds the locking members intheir locking positions.

The operation of the tap will now be described. When the tap is not inplace in a cask, there is no discharge-pipe in it. The locking membersbeing supported on the shoulder 11, the ends of the locking members willswing inwardly until their centers of gravity lie in the vertical planethrough the points of contact of the ends of the iianges with theshoulder and until the projections 14 no longer project through theopenings in the small section of the barrel. Should there be frictiontoo great to be overcome by the weight of the locking members, theweight ofthe gasket 17 and gasket-seat 15 upon the outer edge of theinclined flange 13 of the locking members will tilt the same and swingthe projections 14 of the locking members inwardly, so that they will nolonger project through the openings in the small section of the' barrel.The gasket and gasket-seat further serve to hold the locking members intheir inoperative position when the tap isinclined to the verticalaposition in which one or the other of the projections of the lockingmembers might project through the openings in theA barrels if they wereleft free to swing' outwardly. A cork being in the bung-hole, it maybepushed part way in by the tap, the latter being forced in until thelower end of the middle section of the barrel strikes the bushing. Thenthe discharge-pipe may be inserted and the cork pushed in by it. Thelocking members are engaged by the discharge-pipe and pushed outwardly,so that their projections 14 take under the annular flange 3 of thebushing 2. The discharge-pipe being lowered to its proper position, thejoints between the tap and the eask and between the pipe and the tap aretightened by screwing down the cap 10. The cap 10 bears upon the gasket17 and upon the packing-sleeve 7, which bears upon the gasket 9. Thusthe packing-sleeve must move downwardly with the cap, and both gasketswill be compressed, the joints being tightened thereby. The connectionis now air-tight. The tube or hose leading to the source of pneumaticpressure may now be connected to the nipple 6. The beer or liquid in thecask or receptacle may thus be put under pressure and. forced throughthe discharge-pipe.

Ubviously my device is capable of considerable modilication within thescope of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to thespecific construction shown and described.

i/Vhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A tap comprising a barrel having an internal shoulder, adischarge-pipe removably mounted in said barrel, and locking membershaving a rocking bearing on said shoulder and arranged to be thrown intolocking position by said discharge-pipe.

2. A tap comprising a barrel having an internal shoulder and a reducedlower end provided with openings through its walls, and locking membersmounted upon said shoulder to have pivotal movement and arranged toextend through said openings in certain posi.- tions.

3. A tap comprising a barrel arranged to be inserted in the bung-hole ofa cask, adisehargepipe removably mounted in said barrel, locking membersmovably mounted in said barrel and arranged to be thrown into lockingposi- IIO ISO

tion by said discharge-pipe, paeking-glands for the joints between saidpipe and said barrel and between said barrel and said Cask, and meansconnecting said glands whereby both said glands may be tightenedsimultaneously.

4. A tap comprising a barrel adapted to be inserted in the bung-hole ofa Cask, locking members pivotally mounted in said barrel, a gasket-seatmounted upon said locking members and arranged to swing the lower endsof said locking members inwardly, a gasket upon said gasket-seat and acap on said barrel and engaging said gasket.

5. The combination of a bushing provided with an internal annular flangeand a tap comprising a barrel adapted to be inserted in said bushing,members for locking said barrel in said bushing` mounted in said barreland arranged to engage said annular ange, means for holding said lockingmembers out of looking position, and a discharge-pipe removably mountedin said barrel, said pipe holding said looking members in lookingposition when in place in said barrel.

6. A tap Comprising a barrel adapted to be inserted in the bung-hole ofa Cask, and provided with an internal shoulder, looking members providedwith substantially semieylindrieal flanges inclined downwardly from theouter to the inner sides of said looking members, said anges restingupon said shoulders, and means resting on said ianges to tilt saidlooking members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subseribing witnesses, at St. Louis, Missouri, this 2dday of November, 1904.

MANLEY J. CHAPLIN.

Witnesses:

FRED F. REIsNER, J. B. MEGOWN.

